Vikings wide receive Justin Jefferson was so good in 2020, he wasn’t just considered one of the better rookies, but one of the better wideouts in the NFL this season.
Pro Football Focus has rewarded him for his stellar season. PFF named him a second-team All-Pro. The outlet also pretty consistently gave him high grades for his individual performances. He ended up with a PFF grade of 90.4 overall.
Now, Jefferson has yet another honor given to him by PFF. He has been named the outlet’s Rookie of the Year. Here’s what it said about the Vikings wide receiver:
“When you break a franchise record that was once held by Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, you’re doing something pretty well. When you do it as a rookie and then break the overall NFL record in the same year, you’re deserving of Rookie of the Year honors.
I know that Justin Herbert did some special things this season, and at times Chase Young looked phenomenal, but Jefferson was on another level compared to other rookies and his season held up compared to the best receivers in the league regardless of experience.”
It remains to be seen whether Jefferson beats out players like Herbert and Young for other rookie-related accolades. But either way, the Vikings found a wide receiver for the long term and the short term. Not bad for a team that needed to replace Stefon Diggs.